Research on Chemical Composition and Activity of Natural Products

Nature is an inexhaustible source of biologically active substances, and interest in their research will always be relevant, regardless of whether new molecules will be discovered or new activities of already known compounds will be proven. For centuries, people have used the bounty of nature in the areas they inhabited, both for food and medicine. Today, the borders have taken on another dimension, and the accumulated knowledge about the benefits of natural products is becoming available to many more people around the world. From an ecological point of view, it is extremely important to recover waste from agriculture and the food sector, which is a potential source of biologically important molecules. Modern science allows studying the metabolism of compounds of natural origin at the cellular level, modifying natural molecules in order to obtain derivatives with better activity or lower toxicity, and conducting in-depth research on a wide range of pharmacological effects.

Therefore, this Special Issue of Molecules presents the latest advances in the isolation, identification of new molecules from natural sources, biological effects of plant extracts and essential oils, and utilization of waste products.